What exactly are soft skills ?

Soft skills, behaviour skills, interpersonal skills, non-technical skills... no matter what you call them, it's impossible to escape these famous skills. In job offers, these soft skills have become commonplace, even mandatory. As a result, it is also the case for CVs and cover letters. But just because we hear about them all the time doesn't mean we really know what soft skills are. 

A brief history of soft skills 

Until about fifty years ago, hardly anyone bothered to develop their soft skills or to work on their interpersonal skills. Since the industrial revolution, technical skills are key to get a job. Workers are expected to master know-how and the use of tools. Overseers are asked to manage and administer their production. Everyone has their own skills. But in the 1970s, things started to change. 

If today, soft skills are mentioned in one LinkedIn post out of two, it's thanks to... the American army. And more particularly to an officer named Paul Whitmore. As early as 1968 - in the middle of the Vietnam War - he questioned the training of soldiers. Conclusion: the American army trains its troops very well in the use of machines, but this does not make its battalions more efficient. Instead, Whitmore and his colleagues note that what makes the difference - and the victory - lies in the way teams are led. Which is not taught in US Army school then.

 In 1972, at a congress of the Armed Forces Commanders, Whitmore formally used the phrase “soft skills”. He sought to highlight the difference between reading a map on paper and on a machine. He and his team distinguish between working on something “materially hard” like a machine and something “soft” to the touch - even intangible. Hence hard and soft skills. Even though not everyone likes the phrase. 

Soft skills vs. hard skills: the skills war will not take place

The distinction between know-how and soft skills has existed since the 1970s, but it was the digital revolution that changed everything. With digitalisation has come the need to develop skills related to the ability to learn, reflect and interact. Thanks to Google and countless YouTube tutorials, storing up knowledge no longer makes sense. Instead, the way we use that knowledge matters more than ever. 

Just because soft skills have become essential, doesn't mean that hard skills have gone out the window. On the contrary, know-how is still just as important: you can't become an engineer without understanding physics or a graphic designer without knowing how to use Photoshop. But it must be complemented by soft skills. 

Defining soft skills 

There is no doubt about the importance of non-technical skills. However, the definition of soft skills is far from obvious. In fact, there is no universal definition. There are different models, gathering different skills in different ways. Speak a common language is not an easy task when mentioning soft skills.

Fortunately, among these models, some are more widely accepted. The Partnership for the 21st Century Skills - better known as P21 - and the Assessment and Teaching for the 21st Century Skills - or ATC21S. These initiatives were funded by tech giants. Both models list a variety of skills, among which four are key. They are called the four Cs: 

• Creativity (cognitive skills) 
• Critical thinking (cognitive skills) 
• Cooperation (behavioural skills) 
• Communication (behavioural skills)